Greetings, Sapience,

While we all like to make ourselves look good, and blameless, and to paint ourselves as the victim of any wrongdoing, I am first and foremost a servant of Truth.

In truth, I do find myself saddened by the events that have transpired over the last few months. Of course, I know that in the end Good has prevailed, which is all that truly matters; but the events and the choices that led to this end do not fill me with gladness.

You see, Verrucht stresses the catalyst of this messy business as the only thing that is important. He emphasises the wrong done to his city and her citizens, and brushes over the choices made by Cyrene's government. He tries to put a positive spin on things for his city.

This is not surprising.

However, from the start, Cyrene was allowed to continue to benefit from the blessings of Devotion after the fall of Shallam only by the grace of the Bloodsworn. This gift was given to them, along with a place for their Devotionists to learn the truth of what Good is.

The Diaspora was never given to Cyrene as an autonomous organisation, allowed to fester in ignorance as the Ordine Vashnar Lumeni once did. Its leaders were servants of the Bloodsworn, whom They trusted to know and to teach the Truth.

The government of Cyrene chose to bar these people from preaching in their streets in the wake of Antidas robbing a Cyrenian shop. This was their choice.

As I have stated many times over, choices like these have consequences. The consequence of a blanket refusal of Their teachings from those that They trust was, obviously, a threatened revocation of Their gift.

The reaction to this from the Imperiate was to declare the Deacon of Celestia - the highest mortal authority on Devotion - an enemy of Cyrene and to have him slain by Cyrene's guards.

Though the Imperiate was slain for his actions, still They stayed Their hand against his citizens, as it was known that a referendum was underway in Cyrene. It was decided that they be allowed to make their choice, with the vain hope that they would not allow their pride to blind them to the teachings of Good, Light, Purity, Sacrifice and Truth.

Alas, Cyrene has now made her choice, and has cursed her citizens to stand alone, and to embrace the neutrality to which they have always adhered.

It is right that the Imperiate should offer financial support for those who now need to fund tutelage in a new life - a new profession - because of the choices made by his government. It is, though, ultimately, very sad that pride has allowed it to come to this.


In Their eternal service,

Silas Maynard de l'Evanoir
Her Voice

Penned by my hand on the 5th of Scarlatan, in the year 681 AF.